BRICK (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 17) Read online

  “Thursday?” he asked as she reached for the handle.

  “Yes?” she looked back over her shoulder.

  “I can be around at home for the majority of the week, but Thursday, I need to be out late. Could you come again at around four?”

  “Sure,” Jasmine smiled as she opened the door and stepped out into the cool morning air.

  “See you then,” he said sternly as his intense eyes fixed themselves on her again and made her shudder.

  Jasmine didn’t speak, she just turned and kept on walking. Her heart pounding in her chest, her palms slick with sweat, and her head completely confused.

  Brick was like nothing she had ever known before and she didn’t understand him one bit. But it kind of made her like him even more. She knew she shouldn’t be feeling it, and yet, she was drawn to him. He was clearly a man who knew life, and he knew what he wanted.

  She had only ever been with boys before, but there was something so endearing about Brick. Something so safe and secure… Even though he terrified her at the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder what could happen between them if they let it.

  “Don’t be so stupid, Jasmine,” she rubbished her thoughts immediately as she turned a corner and headed back toward Main Street. “A man like him, what the hell would he ever see in you?”

  She wandered home as the sun began to rise, and when she reached the door of her apartment, she wearily let herself inside and began to climb the stairs.

  She was relieved to push the door open, slip inside and make her way straight to her room, where she peeled back the covers and climbed into bed. She reached for her cellphone and typed out a message.

  J: Home okay. See you Thursday. Jasmine.

  She thought for a moment as to whether she should be a little more personable, but she could already tell that wasn’t exactly Brick’s style.

  She hit send and then sunk down in bed, clutching onto the phone and hoping, just hoping, that he may reply.

  She started to fall asleep thinking about him and his eyes. The way he looked at her and the way he was beginning to make her feel. She didn’t want to give herself over to it, but at the same time, there was something so incredibly powerful about him, she was finding it impossible not to be drawn in.

  She could scream.

  Cadence had been right all along.

  Jasmine was crushing on him, even though she knew she shouldn’t and that it was completely inappropriate. When she had woken up to see him looming above her, and could feel his hand on her shoulder, she had almost reached up and pulled him to her right then and there.

  “You foolish girl,” she cursed herself drearily as she was half asleep. “He’s a man, what would he see in you right now? You’re way too young for him.”

  But she knew she would hold out hope. Because, now, the idea was in her head and she was finding it hard to let it go. Brick was a real man. And if there was ever something Jasmine needed, she was pretty sure that was it.

  8.

  “Hurry up, for God’s sake, you’re driving me mad!” Cadence pouted as she tapped her foot against the floor and thrust her hands onto her hips.

  “Just chill out,” Jasmine said as she scattered around her room, looking for her long, drop silver earrings and her black patent flats. “The restaurant isn’t going anywhere.” She rolled her eyes.

  “I know, but I’m starving,” Cadence whined as she started to pace up and down the floorboards.

  It was Wednesday night and the girls were getting ready to go down onto Main Street for dinner. They hadn’t seen each other since Sunday, and Cadence was practically bursting to know what had transpired once Jasmine had gone over to Brick’s house to babysit Maddy.

  “Well, you’ll just have to wait,” Jasmine said cockily. “I’m not leaving this place until I’m ready.”

  “You suck,” Cadence moaned as she flopped down on the couch and kicked her feet up on the cushions.

  “So do you,” Jasmine peeked her head around the side of the door. “Feet down! Where do you think you are?”

  Cadence rolled her eyes and reluctantly raised her feet and put them back on the floor.

  “Sorry,” she called out. “I forget sometimes. I just love coming here so much I treat it like it’s my own house.”

  “Well, you’re on the verge of being barred, remember?” Jasmine laughed. “Especially after all the wicked thoughts you’ve filled my head with. Do you know how difficult it is for me to go to work now?”

  Cadence cackled with laughter.

  “I didn’t fill your mind with anything that wasn’t already there,” she mused. “I could tell the instant you first mentioned him.”

  “Oh, brother,” Jasmine moaned. “Give it a rest.”

  “I think what you meant to say was… Oh, Daddy,” Cadence laughed.

  “Enough,” Jasmine said as she stormed into the room with her purse. “Come on, grab your shit, we’re getting out of here.”

  “Yes, sir,” Cadence saluted as they made their way to the door and went out into the hallway.

  As they walked through the streets, Jasmine was pleased to notice that, for a Wednesday, Main Street seemed to be busier than it had been in weeks. There were cars parked all along the full-length of the town, and the stores that were still open looked bustling. It was almost as if a cloud had been lifted and things were on their way to going back to normal.

  “Where are we eating then?” Jasmine asked as they stopped and started to scan up and down.

  “I’m not too fussy,” Cadence said. “Maybe you should pick, seeing as it’s your special week.”

  “Special week?” Jasmine raised her eyebrows.

  “Yeah! I mean, you’ve started a new job. It’s special, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so,” Jasmine half-laughed. “But I would hardly call it my week.”

  “I like to exaggerate,” Cadence said dramatically.

  “Oh and don’t I know it.”

  Jasmine turned and let her eyes rest on the little old restaurant on the corner. It had been ages since she had been in there. In fact, when she thought about it, she was pretty sure the last time was when she was a child. But she remembered that the food had been good, and that was what she was in the mood for. Somewhere quiet with comfort food.

  “There,” she said as she pointed to it. “The bistro on the corner, the one that’s a café during the day.”

  “Okay, boss,” Cadence saluted as they began to cross the street and make their way to the restaurant.

  Outside, there were a few small tables set on the sidewalk and the old man who owned the place was sitting at one smoking a pipe.

  “Evening, girls,” he smiled as he looked up at them and rose shakily to his feet.

  “Hello,” Jasmine smiled. “We’re looking to eat.”

  “Just the two of you?” he asked as he balanced his weight on a walking stick and took a step forward.

  “Yes,” Cadence smiled.

  “Take your pick of where to sit,” he nodded as he started to hobble toward the door.

  “So, what do you think,” Jasmine asked. “In or out?”

  “Out,” smiled Cadence. “It’s still a nice night and I can’t imagine the air conditioning is anything to shout about in there.”

  They pulled out two chairs and sat at one of the tables. In the center of it was a little green vase with one single red rose sitting inside.

  “Cute,” Jasmine smiled as she spun the vase in her fingers. “You see, this is the kind of place that makes Slate Springs what it is, a lovely little town with old school values.”

  “I agree,” Cadence said as she looked out across Main Street.

  There were couples walking arm in arm, children playing on their bikes, and an old lady was sitting on the opposite side of the street, by the entrance to the park, playing an accordion.

  “Even that little old lady has never left,” Jasmine smiled. “It really is a home forever, isn’t it?”

  “What’s
with the nostalgia?” Cadence asked suspiciously. “You’re not thinking of leaving me, are you? The big city isn’t calling you, is it? Oh, please, God, don’t do it to me!”

  “Don’t be so stupid,” Jasmine laughed. “I’ve been here forever and I intend to keep it that way. I’ve just been more aware lately of what a nice town it is to raise a family.”

  Cadence fluttered her eyelashes and let out a deep, heavy, mock sigh.

  “Did Daddy make you feel this way?” she said teasingly.

  “I swear, you really need to zip it,” Jasmine scowled. “But, obviously, being around Maddy has made me see what a great place it is for kids. She is so happy and content, and to think, she doesn’t have a mother around. It’s incredible, really.”

  “Well, maybe that’s more down to him…” Cadence said seriously, and she let it hang in the air between them.

  “Maybe,” Jasmine agreed as she looked back out across the street and continued to spin the little vase in her hands.

  “Here we are, girls,” the old man said as he hobbled back out to them and placed down two menus.

  “Can I get you some drinks?” he smiled at them.

  “Just some sparkling water, please,” Jasmine replied.

  “And I’ll take a beer,” Cadence said.

  Jasmine shook her head.

  “What? I’m not the one who’s got work tomorrow,” she said cockily and with way too much pleasure. “You know I’m starting to thrive off this, don’t you.”

  “I was getting that impression, yes,” Jasmine rolled her eyes.

  She opened the menu and started to look through it, her eyes flitted down the page and past all the main courses. She was hungry but she wasn’t starving. She hadn’t felt hungry for days, which was strange. It was almost like she couldn’t even get her mind to stop focusing on Maddy and Brick, and onto normal everyday things. Her mind was so preoccupied, she had completely forgotten about food.

  The owner returned with their drinks and set them down. And as he turned to head back inside to give them a few more minutes of consideration, suddenly, a loud roar descended over the town.

  It came from the far end of Main Street and Jasmine was sure the ground was vibrating underneath them. The two girls looked at each other and then Jasmine looked back with panic as she waited to see what she knew was coming.

  The motorcycles glinted into view and roared toward them. Jasmine felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and a shiver rolled over her entire body. The men riding the bikes were all so bad looking that it was more than a little intimidating. They were thundering toward them, all their bikes loud and powerful, and all of them wearing leather and chains.

  Cadence’s mouth sagged open a little as they watched them swoop down to their end of Main Street and skid to a halt outside one of the closed down buildings.

  “What are they doing?” Cadence whispered, but Jasmine didn’t have an answer for her, and all she could do was watch on as well. Completely entranced by the scene in front of them.

  The men were all big, burly, tattooed, and fierce looking. Jasmine’s heart was pounding as she searched the crowd for Brick, but she couldn’t see him. She felt her fingers twitch with anticipation and she instinctively reached for her purse and pulled out her cellphone. There must have been ten bikers, all of them imposing and completely dominant across the whole of Main Street. They were circling, looking around, parking, and chatting at the side of the road. And Jasmine couldn’t take her eyes from them.

  “Are you ready, girls?” the old man hobbled back out to them and she saw him nod to one of the bikers.

  “You okay, Jim?” the biker called across to him and the old man nodded and waved his hand.

  “Are they the Forsaken Riders?” Cadence whispered to Jim.

  He looked down at her with a wry little smile.

  “They still get the ladies’ attention, even after all these years, huh?” he laughed and shook his head with fond disbelief.

  “All these years?” Cadence asked. “But they only look around our age?”

  “Oh, they will be,” Jim smiled. “But their fathers were all exactly the same, and their fathers before that. The Forsaken Riders have always been popular with the women of this town. I can’t for the life of me think why…” he chuckled and trailed off.

  Jasmine found herself giggling too.

  She knew exactly why.

  “So, what can I get you both?”

  “Well,” Cadence began and she snapped out her menu and lifted it up high as she began to recite what she wanted.

  At the exact same time, Jasmine felt a vibration in her hand and looked down to see her phone alight and alive. Ringing and ringing.

  Brick.

  He needed her.

  “Hello?” she said as she held the phone to her ear and rose to her feet.

  She was aware of Cadence making a face and complaining to Jim, but Jasmine pushed her finger into her other ear to block out the sound and she concentrated fully on what Brick had to say.

  “Jasmine? Can you hear me?” his deep, rough voice came from the other end of the line.

  “Yes, I can hear you,” she said as she turned her back to Cadence and the restaurant and looked back toward the bikers.

  It looked as if they were waiting for someone.

  “I know I asked for you tomorrow, but this is one of those times when I need you at a moment’s notice. Can you be here as soon as possible?”

  Jasmine nodded her head before she spoke.

  “Yes,” she said, “Of course, I can.”

  She turned back to the table and reached for her purse. Cadence widened her eyes as if she were ready to kill and Jasmine shrugged.

  “I’ll see you in five minutes, I’m just around the corner,” Jasmine said as she pulled ten dollars from her purse and placed it down on the table.

  She hung up the phone and was faced with both Cadence and Jim staring at her with curiosity, although she could tell Jim was calm and that Cadence was mad.

  “I’m sorry,” she said as she clasped her hands together. “I have to go to work. I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Cadence moaned. “We’ve just sat down!”

  “I know, I’m sorry, but I told you, sometimes, this might happen, and tonight is one of those nights.”

  Cadence looked past her and to the bikers congregating on the other side of the street.

  “Well, I bet I can guess where he needs to be,” Cadence said with a raised brow.

  Jasmine looked back over her shoulder and nodded.

  “I think you’re probably right,” she agreed.

  “Well, you pop off to work then, looks like I’m going to have a front row seat.”

  Jasmine turned back to Cadence and flashed her a scowl.

  “Bye, Cadence,” she said with irritability as she started to march away from the restaurant and toward Brick and Maddy’s home.

  She walked as quickly as she could, swinging her arms with annoyance. She loved Cadence, she was like a sister, but sometimes, her demeanor was far too abrupt and waspish. She felt as if she was being tormented for liking someone, and Cadence wasn’t letting her slip into it and enjoy it. From that moment on, she made a pact with herself that she would never mention Brick to Cadence ever again.

  She wondered if she was right. Would Brick be heading directly to the other bikers on the opposite side of the street from the restaurant? Would Cadence have a front row seat to whatever was about to go down?

  Jasmine felt a rush of panic. She was fearing missing out on something, even though her priority was Maddy and making sure she was kept safe at home.

  She turned the corner onto the old road and saw the mansions sweeping up out of the dark, standing tall and proud on the top of the rise.

  She was sure she could see Brick’s silhouette in one of the windows and she picked up her pace, not wanting to disappoint him. A big, silver Harley was parked at the end of the driveway and as Jasmi
ne walked past it, she couldn’t believe how large it was. It was like some kind of monster. But she was sure, when Brick was on it, his frame must eclipse that of the bike. He was so tall and muscular.

  The front door flew open before she even started climbing the steps and Brick emerged from inside and started to jog down them to meet her.

  “Thanks for this,” he said as he towered over her.

  She looked up into his eyes and she felt her heart begin to beat harder. He was looking down at her, his breathing was fast and his eyes were hungry, but he tore himself away and rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I have to go,” he said suddenly. “I have somewhere I need to be.”

  “It’s okay,” she said.

  She started to climb the steps and when she found herself up at the doorway, she turned around and watched him climb onto the bike. He looked up at her, and there was something in him she just couldn’t put her finger on.

  She couldn’t tell if he looked sad or worried.

  Or both.

  “What time will you be back?” she asked, only because she was curious, not because she wanted to leave.

  Brick shrugged and smiled.

  “Hopefully not as late as Monday,” he grinned. “Thanks again, Jasmine.”

  He revved the engine and the noise was so loud it vibrated right through her and gave her goosebumps. She had been right, the moment he was on the bike, it was as if he was the dominant force, the machine was certainly second in the power stakes.

  He swung the bike around and flew out of the neighborhood, leaving the scent of gasoline heavy in the air.

  Jasmine bit her lip and realized her heart was racing.

  He was so exciting. She had never felt anything like the buzz she had inside her at that moment.

  She backed through the doorway, and tried to forget the image of him on the back of that bike, looking so damned good it was almost frustrating. She closed the door and locked it, and then she turned around and looked up into the big, open hallway. The staircase was so high and sweeping, and she kicked her shoes off quietly before she crept to the foot of the stairs and started to climb them to check on Maddy.